Management Lessons From IPL: Romi Bhinder on Running Teams & Building Gen-Z Stars | CIMCON'26

Is your business missing the real power of technology? In this interactive session from CIMCON '26, hosted at IIM Nagpur (February 20th–22nd, 2026), Romi Bhinder, Team Manager of the Rajasthan Royals and seasoned cricket administrator, breaks down the core principles of transformation, sports entrepreneurship, and leadership. Drawing from over two decades of high-performance cricket development, Romi goes back to first principles to explore how shifting from recreation to recognition takes structured discipline, consistency, and a people-first mindset. He discusses how sports have evolved into a multi-billion dollar industry in India, the necessity of building robust local grassroots ecosystems, and managing professional teams through the simple principle of self-governance. Key Takeaways: 🔹 Redefining sports as a booming industry: Scaling past a purely recreational or entertainment mindset 🔹 Overcoming micro-management: Empowering teams through self-governance and the core principles of delegation. 🔹 Real-world scouting and development: The story of spotting rising star Vaibhav Suryavanshi and managing his progression 🔹 Simplifying business operations: Cultivating long-term relationships with your team and vendors for sustainable brand growth Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction to Romi Bhinder & CIMCON '26 3:38 - Transforming passion into profession: The transition from UPSC to elite cricket administration 6:36 - "Shneh Shneh": Why building a business legacy and scaling development takes patience and time 10:05 - The foundation of Rajasthan Royals' high-performance facility in Talegaon 12:07 - Cultivating the ultimate asset: Shifting focus from infrastructure to investing in your people 18:27 - Sports as a $600B+ economic sector: Identifying the next era of industrial demand in Indian athletics 22:30 - Bridging the ecosystem gap: The need for sports finishing schools and public-private partnerships across districts 26:41 - Audience Q&A begins: The backend framework for spotting and managing breakthrough talent 30:03 - Managing large teams: Micro-management traps versus keeping your business operations simple 34:44 - The perspective on losing: How elite franchises manage pressure and review setbacks to improve continuous learning #CIMCON2026 #IIMNagpur #RajasthanRoyals #SportsBusiness #SportsManagement #SportsLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamManagement #HighPerformance #PerformanceCulture #FutureOfSports #SportsIndustry